Skip to main content

Iran defense minister: Saudi Arabia will fail in Yemen

Iranian defense minister says that Saudi Arabia's military campaign in Yemen will fail and that it will prepare the collapse of the Saudi government.

Saudi Foreign Minister Saud al-Faisal gestures during a joint news conference with his French counterpart Laurent Fabius in Riyadh April 12, 2015. Saudi Arabia dismissed Iranian calls to end air strikes on neighbouring Yemen on Sunday as Saudi-led attacks hit a military camp in the Yemeni city of Taiz, killing eight civilians according to a medical source. REUTERS/Faisal Al Nasser  - RTR4X0EF
Saudi Foreign Minister Saud al-Faisal gestures during a joint news conference with his French counterpart Laurent Fabius in Riyadh, April 12, 2015. — REUTERS/Faisal Al Nasser

The regional rivalry between Iran and Saudi Arabia has pitted the two countries against one another in Lebanon, Syria and Iraq. But it is Yemen that has caused the two countries to escalate their war of words to unprecedented levels. When Saudi Arabia and its coalition of Arab countries began bombing Yemen in late March, they claimed they were targeting Houthi militias, which they accused of being supported by Iran. Checking Iran’s expansionist aims was one of the key talking points by the Saudi-led coalition.

However, Iranian officials and media have answered back. After Iran’s Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei's criticism of the Saudi bombing April 9, other Iranian officials have joined in. Comments by military officials have been some of the harshest.

Subscribe for unlimited access

All news, events, memos, reports, and analysis, and access all 10 of our newsletters. Learn more

$14 monthly or $100 annually ($8.33/month)
OR

Continue reading this article for free

All news, events, memos, reports, and analysis, and access all 10 of our newsletters. Learn more.

By signing up, you agree to Al-Monitor’s Terms and Conditions and Privacy Policy. Already have an account? Log in